2024 NEWS

1 Jan.  Title of the new book is decided. It will be WE GAVE A DAM. 

8 Jan. Comments received form AH on chapters 1-8.

12 Jan. First Comments received for Warren Hibbs and Rick Randall on sill towing and lowering. 

23 Jan. Meeting with Bob Napthine at his home in Maidstone. He worked with Costain on the barrier for a year on the Tender then on site from 1974-76. Became Chief Engineering manager for Costain International and on the Tender and on site on the Channel Tunnel until 1994.

30 Jan. There will be 32 pages of photos and drawings in the book. Much work to do.

5 Feb. Epilogue complete.

14 Feb. First draft of book cover received from Terry Bannon.

20 Feb. Made contact with Adrian Franklin, The surviving CTH Project Manager.

21 Feb. Received details of George Davies the ER on barrier site for RPT.

26 Feb. First edit completed for Chapters 1-10.  45,000 words complete. 

27 Feb. Meeting with Adrian Franklin at his home in West Byfleet.

10 Mar. First draft of the text completed and list of Plates nearly there – there will be 32pp.

18 Mar. Typesetting ongoing. 

21 Mar. Typesetting draft finished out for checking. Final checks on plates.

25 Mar. First Barrier Talk at Forest of Blean Rotary Club. Approx 40 guests, introduced by

Les Leslie. Well received.

28 Mar. Final text checks and typesetting completed. Many thanks to Terry Bannon, Charlotte Mournsey and Russell Kilmister.

Order placed for printers. 

3 April. U3A confirmed talk for April 2025

5 April. Clays confirm delivery of books to Canterbury on 25 April. Due to be published on 20 May when it will be available online

19 April. Book given good plug at Costain Dinner in London.  Met up with Adrian Franklin, Rick Randall, Phil Grice, Alistair Handford and Ian Ronchetti.

25 April. Books delivered from printers. 

1 May. Interview with Richard Hakiman, editor of the New Civil Engineer, for a new podcast.

8 May. 40th Anniversary of opening of the barrier. Visited the site with Sam Cornberg and all the gates were raised. A sunny day, but few visitors around and met the new Operations Manager. Media visited yesterday.

9 May. Institution of Civil Engineers Event on Thames Barrier held in London. Full house with 120 attending. Attended by the President Anusha Shah, and I was the first speaker on history and construction of the barrier, followed by Andy Batchelor the operating manager on the present, and a speaker from the Environment Agency on the future. Well received and 60 books already sold. 

10 May. Podcast interview with the editor of the New Civil Engineer Rob Hakieman and Richard Bayfield, who will be the new ICE Vice President in November

11 May. Photograph received of group shot of those who worked on the barrier at the ICE Event. Those shown in the lineup include: 

Anusha Shah ICE President 2024, 

Richard Bayfield ICE Vice President for 2025 & Student Engineer 1976,

Andy Batchelor EA Operations Manager for Thames Barrier 2024,

Dick Tappin RPT Chief Engineer for the Steel Gates 1973,

Alan Mitchell RPT Chief Engineer for the Concrete Works 1973,

Bill Reynolds RPT Site Engineer 1976,

Adrian Franklin CTHJV Project Manager 1980-82,

Paul Sivey CTHJV Sills Manager 1976-82,

Alistair Handford CTHJV Site and Pier Manager 1975-8,

Sam Cornberg CTHJV Site Engineer 1975-80,

Mike Burnett CTHJV Site Engineer 1978- 80,

Rory O’Grady CTHJV Site Engineer 1975-80.

12 May. A good article in The Times newspaper on the barrier by Adam Vaughan the Environment Editor. He requested a book which has been sent.

13 May. The book is now up on the Amazon website. Further details to be added.

27 May. Dora Choi of Green Bean Media, a group of HK journalists who are now based in UK, wants to make a documentary on Lugard after reading The Passionate Imperialists, and have asked for help, which I have agreed. 

28 May. Waterstones Canterbury have agreed to stock We Gave A Dam and recommend to contact Greenwich, Blackheath and Canary Wharf bookshops.

30 May. Amazon are having technical problems with new books going up on the website. I have a good stock and can supply (cheaper!) if any problems.

4 June. Carol Clifford is visiting UK from South Africa and met up for lunch to catch up. Met Eleanor Webb for the first time who gave us the story of George Luxton for the first time. Search for more details still ongoing. My sister Rosemary and cousin Russell also made it to make it a very convivial day. 

6 June. Deal Radio confirmed they want an interview on 26 June at 12.30 in the radio station in Deal with Lee Ackroyd

 16 June. The Lugard documentary is progressing. Have made contact with Robin Haig, Lucinda Meade and Steve Walton again after 7 years who are going to assist the HK Chinese team.

19 June.  Amazon are still having technical difficulties with the new books on their website. I have now sold nearly 100 and still plenty in stock. So at the moment quicker and cheaper if you order from me. I will guarantee to get them to you within 2 days (depending on the whims of Royal Mail)

20 June. The Emperor and Empress of Japan are making a State Visit to the UK next week and will be visiting The Thames Barrier. They have had a strong interest in environmental matters since they met at Oxford University and were there when the barrier opened in 1984. I have sent a copy of the book to the Embassy which I hope will get to them.

23 June. Visited Waterstones branches in Greenwich, and Blackheath and spoke to a Manager in Canary Warf and interest in the book from them all, and be showing in the shop.

23 June. Also visited the Clarendon Hotel in Blackheath and a received a reply from Ken Milton the General Manager, who remembers the times during the construction of the barrier and that many Dutchmen stayed at the hotel during this time. Book will be on display in the hotel.

26 June. Interviewed by Lee Ackroyd on Radio Deal on his midday programme which went well. Can be picked up on line .

27 June. Received an email from Steve Wynn who was a Barrier site engineer from 1978-81 and we both worked on the Pier 4 Underwater concrete in 1980. He lives in Faversham so will be meeting soon.

9 July. A Barrier blogsite has been added to the ICE Website. 

19 July. Lugard - interview with Dora Choi of Green Bean Media looking likely in Oct/Nov.

22 July. Barrier - We Gave A Dam is being picked up on Linked In and old friends making contact including Ian MacKenzie, Iain Mowatt, David Feehan, Eamon Marley, and Derek Elliot still in Hong Kong, and Toby Hammond in Dubai.

24 July. Barrier -Lunch with Steve Wynn who worked on the barrier 1978-81 and now lives in Faversham. He was on the north bank, so we only met briefly on some of the  underwater concrete pours. 

29 July. Barrier - Making contact with Folkstone Book Festival

Nov 14-24.

7 August. Barrier - Met up with Adrian Franklin and Giles Jackson.

10 August. Preliminary discussions held with Diane Maclean a painter and sculptor for possible biography. Further discussions next month.

13 August. Barrier - Henley Rowing and River Club have requested 5 copies of book.

26 August. Barrier - Patrick Heren, journalist an old friend from Canterbury, contacted requesting a copy of We gave A Dam.

27 August. Lugard - Dora Choi has postponed Lugard interview until November. Barrier Promotions and research tour 2- 16 September.

2 Sept. Lunch with Rick Randall in Brockenhurst, Hants who was marine manager on the barrier 1978-82.

7 Sept. Research for biography at Barbara Hepworth museum in St Ives, Cornwall.

11 Sept.  Barrier -Visited Marlow Bookshop who are to consider stocking the book. 

12 Sept. Barrier - Lunch with Patrick Heren in Oxford who will give review.

13 Sept. Barrier - Visited Henley Rowing and River Club who have sold two copies this month.

15 Sept. Barrier - Met with Richard Belbin who will display the book in his shop in Sherbourne, Dorset

17 Sept. Barrier - Further copy to Dick Tappin in Surrey who was the chief designer of the steel gates of the barrier, and is still working as a consultant.

26 Sept. A good meeting with Diane Maclean to discuss biography. To progress and further meeting next week. Start research.

3 Oct. Barrier – Marlow bookshop confirmed they will stock the book. Possible talk in a few months.

7 Oct. Barrier – Warren Hibbs to link up with Dick Tappin. 

9 Oct. Lugard – Zoom Meeting with Dora Chan to bring forward to end October.

12 Oct. Arctic Fox – Colonel Dario Porfidia, in charge of the army base in Nettuno, who we met at the commemoration service in 2022 has been promoted to Generale and will be moving to a new command post in Rome. Contact details: +39 347 1257450. Should you wish to congratulate him.

21 Oct. Lugard meeting and filming with Director Dora Chan and interviewer Dr Amanda Zhang from Birkbeck College London confirmed on 7 Nov

23 Oct. Diane Maclean Biography meetings and research started. Aiming to complete early in 2025. 

7 Nov. Lugard interview held in Canterbury with Dr Amanda Zhang and Dora Choi from Green Bean Media, Hong Kong. They are making a series of programmes of the Governors of Hong Kong. 

11 Nov. Folkestone Litfest runs from 14-24 November. I will be attending on 21 November for an evening with Kent authors.

21 Nov. Attended Folkstone Litfest  Local authors were promoting books . Interesting selection .Will give a talk next year.

22 Nov. ARCTIC FOX - ANOTHER CONNECTION FOUND

I received an email from Derek Thompson in New York who is a grandson of William Buchan from his first marriage. Further new information received so another update required. 

2 Dec. Email received from Graham Dallas from New Zealand who is another grandson of William Buchan and cousin of Derek Thompson with further information on their story. Hoping to get to Nettuno in 2028 for 70th Anniversary.

3 Dec. BARRIER – Attended funeral of Bob Napthine who was the first Costain Chief Engineer on the Barrier and was a senior manager on the building of the Channel Tunnel.